increase font size
Federated Farmers immigration spokesman Richard McIntyre.
Farmers are claiming a victory in their fight against new Accredited Employment Work Visa (AEWV) changes announced by the Government last month.
Federated Farmers claim that Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has agreed to changes that will help farmers get migrant staff on farm.
In an email to Feds members today, vice president and immigration spokesman Richard McIntyre said they have been fighting hard to get staff in for the calving season.
“Our pressure has paid off, with the Immigration Minister agreeing to changes that will help employers get migrant staff on-farm,” he says.
“We’ve also worked with Immigration NZ to create a comprehensive guide to help farmers navigate this work visa process. “In the long-term, we’re working to ensure there are improvements to the AEWV system that work for our farming employers and their teams.”
Last month, McIntyre said the changes “have caused a lot of concern and confusion”.
Many farmers rely on migrant workers to work on dairy farms and orchards. McIntyre claims the changes came into force immediately and will make things a lot harder for farmers who are trying to bring in staff from oversees.
The changes announced last month included a shorter visa length of two years with a maximum continuous stay period of three years, and the introduction of a 12-month stand-down period at the end of the visa. There are also new minimum requirements when it comes to skills, work experience, advertising roles, and engaging with Work and Income.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
